Conclusions: In this large cohort study, serum 25(OH)D concentrations were inversely associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. In particular, vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D concentration
all-cause mortality
PLOS Medicine: Erectile Dysfunction Severity as a Risk Marker for Cardiovascular Disease Hospitalisation and All-Cause Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study
What Did the Researchers Do and Find?
The researchers used information from the established 45 and Up Study, a large cohort study that includes 123,775 men aged 45 and over, selected at random from the general population of New South Wales, a large region of Australia. A total of 95,038 men were included in this analysis. The male participants completed a postal questionnaire that included a question on erectile functioning, which allowed the researchers to define erectile dysfunction as none, mild, moderate, or severe. Using information captured in the New South Wales Admitted Patient Data Collection—a complete record of all public and private hospital admissions, including the reasons for admission and the clinical diagnosis—and the government death register, the researchers were able to determine health outcomes of all study participants. They then used a statistical model to estimate hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease events for different levels of erectile dysfunction.
The researchers found that the rates of severe erectile dysfunction among study participants were 2.2% for men aged 45–54 years, 6.8% for men aged 55–64 years, 20.2% for men aged 65–74 years, 50.0% for men aged 75–84 years, and 75.4% for men aged 85 years and over. During the study period, the researchers recorded 7,855 hospital admissions related to cardiovascular disease and 2,304 deaths. The researchers found that among men without previous cardiovascular disease, those with severe erectile dysfunction were more likely to develop ischemic heart disease (risk 1.60), heart failure (risk 8.00), peripheral vascular disease (risk 1.92), and other causes of cardiovascular disease (risk 1.26) than men without erectile dysfunction. The risks of heart attacks and heart conduction problems were also increased (1.66 and 6.62, respectively). Furthermore, the combined risk of all cardiovascular disease outcomes was 1.35, and the overall risk of death was also higher (risk 1.93) in these men. The researchers found that these increased risks were similar in men with erectile dysfunction who had previously been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.
Citation: Banks E, Joshy G, Abhayaratna WP, Kritharides L, Macdonald PS, et al. (2013) Erectile Dysfunction Severity as a Risk Marker for Cardiovascular Disease Hospitalisation and All-Cause Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study. PLoS Med 10(1): e1001372. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001372
Copyright: © 2013 Banks et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Is Running Bad for Your Heart? – NewsOK.com
A study published in the December issue of the British medical journal Heart looked at 52,600 people over three decades, and it found that those who ran more than 20 to 25 miles per week lived no longer than those who didn’t exercise at all. Another recent study also found that people who ran faster than 7 minutes and 30 seconds per mile when they exercised enjoyed no mortality advantage over couch potatoes. But in both studies, people who ran regularly, but at shorter distances and slower paces, lived longest.
via Is running bad for your heart? | NewsOK.com.
Yet another study that adds to the conflicting data we already have. For the record, I no longer run for exercise. But my excuse is OA.
Depressed Heart Patients Have Worse Outcomes
As seen in previous studies, patients with elevated depressive symptoms had a higher risk of MI or all-cause death through about 4 years of follow-up, after accounting for demographics, education, income, and body mass index HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.72, according to Siqin Ye, MD, of Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues.
Simple Sit Test Predicts Long Life
This study evaluated the association between the ability to sit and rise from the floor with and without support and all-cause mortality in adults age 51 to 80.
There was a significant association between the use of more support to sit and rise from the floor and increasing all-cause mortality.
via Simple Sit Test Predicts Long Life.
Our profession typically uses chair-to-stand testing as part of a senior supplement. Should we be considering the use of the sit-rise test instead?
Syncope-Related Risk of Death Linked to Age
The first admission for syncope among healthy individuals significantly predicts the risk of all-cause mortality, stroke, cardiovascular hospitalization, device implantation, and recurrent syncope.
via Syncope-Related Risk of Death Linked to Age.
OK underwriters..pay attention.
FDA Warns Chantix May Up Heart Risk
A meta-analysis ordered by the agency and conducted by drugmaker Pfizer found a higher occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events — including death, MI, and stroke — with the drug than with placebo.
The FDA noted, however, that such events were uncommon in both groups, and the increased risk wasn’t statistically significant.
via Chantix May Up Heart Risk, FDA Warns.
Quitting smoking is good. Maybe quitting smoking without a pharmaceutical assist is better. Additional link to the FDA release follows.
Statin-Exercise Combo Lowers Mortality Risk
Patients who took statins and were physically fit had as much as a 70% reduction in the risk of dying during the follow-up period as compared with the least physically fit patients who were taking statins, according to Peter Kokkinos, PhD, of George Washington University in Washington, and colleagues.
Physical fitness also had an independent effect on mortality risk among patients who were not taking statins, reducing the likelihood of death during follow-up by as much as 47%, they reported online in The Lancet.
via Statin-Exercise Combo Lowers Mortality Risk.
I really need to get the gym more often.
Lifestyle Matters, Even in the Elderly
Individuals older than 75 who were physically active and participated in social activities lived a median 5.4 years (95% CI 3 to 7.8) longer than those with a less healthy lifestyle and more limited social life, according to Laura Fratiglioni, MD, PhD, and colleagues from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Baby Boomers: Will We Really Rock On Forever?
Baby boomers, now between 48 and 67 years old, have already shown a greater propensity to suicide than previous generations, according to a data analysis from researchers at Rutgers University and Emory University. Male boomers had abnormally high suicide rates in their teen and early 20s, peaking for many boomers at 26 suicides per 100,000 lives at an age when the rate among next older generations were below 20 suicides per 100,000 lives, data showed. Patterns were similar for women, though their rates are lower, Emory epidemiologist Ellen Idler said.
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